Healthy Beetroot cake

Healthy beetroot cake, who would have thought? Beetroot in a cake? Carrot cakes, I am used to and love. Then I had a ‘lightbulb moment’ while making a carrot cake to substitute carrots with beets. I felt so elated and smug with myself, only to find out later, that it is nothing new. Beetroot cakes do exist.

Most recipes I have come across are more or less, chocolate cakes with beets added to give extra moisture. This Healthy Beetroot cake is purely a beetroot cake for beetroot sake. There is no intention to subsume or mask the taste of the beetroot, it is the star of this cake.

Beets are crunchy and have a lovely earthy flavour, which some people describe as tasting like dirt. When I think of it, the taste of beetroot reminds me of the earthy smell of harmattan soil or dust after the first light rain of the rainy season, very tranquil.

I use either raw or boiled beets. Using it raw brings out the full flavour profile of beets which is not as pronounced when boiled. Boiling also changes the resultant cake in a very surprising way. The texture is ultra moist, rich and tastes like a rich English fruit cake, without the density and the fruits. My sister who is a sucker for rich English fruit cakes, and who has a legendary secret recipe, was surprised at the similarity.

You can fill and frost your Beetroot cake with cream cheese, chocolate or roux frosting or simply drizzle chocolate or zobo syrup all over it.

To make Healthy Beetroot cake:

¾ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1½ cups grated raw beetroot
2 tablespoons zest of lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1½ cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Wash and peel beetroot.

Grate using a grater or food processor.

Zest lemon with a grater or zester.

Preheat oven to 180°C, brush a 9-inch round cake pan or loaf pan with butter or oil and lightly sprinkle with flour. Mix together oil, eggs, sugar, honey, grated beetroot, grated zest of lemon, and vanilla essence in a large bowl, till well combined.

Sift together, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, mix well.

Add flour mixture to beetroot mixture and using a wooden spoon stir till combined.

Spoon into prepared pan, smooth surface.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre, comes out clean or when the top is pressed, it bounces back.

Leave to cool for 15 minutes in the pan then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy with a glass of Healthy beetroot juice mocktail, Afterglow etc.

Storage:

• This healthy beetroot cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminium foil, and kept at room temperature, 1 to 2 days, in the refrigerator, for 1 week, and in the freezer, for 4 to 6 months.

If you enjoyed my Healthy beetroot cake, you will also enjoy my cooked beetroot cake, Beetroot coleslaw, Moist Fruit cake and Moist Carrot cake.

Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.

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